This invention relates generally to interior wall systems for buildings.
As constructed, a modern office building typically has a central core for elevators and other services, surrounded by a largely open floor area that extends to the perimeter of the building. The occupant of a particular floor is responsible for finishing the open area according to its particular needs. Offices and other defined areas are constructed using partition walls that extend upwardly from the building floor to a finished ceiling that is added below the floor above. The partition walls can be built on site using conventional construction techniques, much in the manner of partition walls used in domestic housing construction. In other words, vertical studs (usually metal) are erected between the floor and the finished ceiling and are covered with wallboard panels that are secured to the studs using metal screws. The screw holes and joints between adjacent panels are filled and finished to give it smooth and flat wall surface that can then be painted.
An alternative is to use partition wall systems that are prefabricated elsewhere and then erected on site. Numerous wall systems of this type have been proposed and are reflected in the patent literature. Some examples can be found in the following United States patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,850 (Collier)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,856 (Smith et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,280 (Collier)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,848 (Guerin)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,311 (Chou)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,461 (DeGrada et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,046 (MacQuarrie et al.)
One approach reflected in the prior art is to supply prefabricated wall panels (e.g. 4 feetxc3x978 feet in overall size) that are delivered to the site in substantially unitized (finished) condition. The panels are installed between floor and ceiling tracks that have previously been fixed in place. The panels are butted together side-by-side, and trim is added, for example to provide doorways or other features.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,793 (Deugo et al.) shows an example of a system that employs prefabricated panels.
A somewhat different approach that allows for more xe2x80x9ccustomizedxe2x80x9d design of the individual offices, involves erection on site of an internal wall framework to which prefabricated wall fascias are fitted to provide a finished wall structure. The fascias can be made in a variety of different modular sizes and styles to allow wide flexibility in office design. For example, transparent (glazed) fascias can be provided to make a xe2x80x9cglassxe2x80x9d wall. The present invention provides improvements in the wall system of this type. An example of such a wall system has been available for a number of years from Iterby Italiana Mobili SRL of Pesaro, Italy.
The invention provides a wall system for partitioning interior space within a building, comprising an internal frame having upright posts and transverse rails extending between the posts, and a plurality of panels secured to the frame and forming an external wall covering on the frame. The wall system includes at least one of the features described below:
Specially designed wall fascia elements (xe2x80x9csmart elementsxe2x80x9d) may be located wherever appropriate in a wall and may provide special wall surface features such as a whiteboard writing surface, a tackable pin-up surface or an accessory-type element for example having lateral channels into which accessories can be hooked. These special elements are visually integrated and lie flush with the xe2x80x9cregularxe2x80x9d fascias of the wall system. The smart elements are made available in modular sizes to match the sizes (e.g. widths) of other fascia elements of the wall system.
An accessory rail that extends horizontally of the wall system may be integrated as part of a smart element, or provided separately. The accessory rail will provide one or more horizontal, undercut channels into which can be hooked accessories such as shelves or the like.
A range of different shelf structures may be provided to work in association with such an accessory rail.
Another feature is the provision of power data and voice communication plug-in connections as part of the wall system. The wall system can accommodate face-mounted plug-ins and/or a movable power/data module that can include a facility to xe2x80x9clay inxe2x80x9d wire horizontally along the wall, as a wire management feature.
Further features relate to the provision of shelves that include shelf supports designed to be engaged respectively with two adjacent main wall posts of the wall system so that the shelf itself can extend between the supports, allowing relatively heavy weights to be supported directly from the main wall frame. The shelf can include a so-called xe2x80x9ctechnology shelfxe2x80x9d capable of supporting computers, monitors or other technology-related components.
Still further features relate to a pocket door and a pivot door that can be incorporated into the wall system of the invention.
Other types of doors also are possible, of course, including a glass door that includes an adaptor permitting a standard lockset to be used.